Israel deports Greta Thunberg and 170 other Gaza flotilla activists

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7dk52l1jvo

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Israel says it has deported 171 more foreign activists, including Swedish climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg, who were detained when Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla trying to breach its naval blockade of Gaza to deliver aid last week.

The Israeli foreign ministry said the activists were flown to Greece and Slovakia, and that Greek, Slovakian, French, Italian, British and US citizens were among them.

It posted photos of Thunberg wearing a grey tracksuit and walking through an airport.

So far, the ministry has announced the deportations of 341 of the more than 470 people who were on board the 42 intercepted boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF).

Organisers said their goal was to "break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea, open a humanitarian corridor, and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people".

They said the interceptions violated international maritime and humanitarian law.

Israeli authorities said they enforced a legal blockade and called the flotilla a "PR stunt".

They also rejected as "fake news" allegations from some of the activists that they had been mistreated and denied basic rights during their detention.